Timely intervention by the police prevented a major clash between two groups of people over the issue of holding a temple festival at Kichipalayam in Salem city on Wednesday evening.
Police sources said that people belonging to two different communities have been residing in Kareem Compound in Kichipalayam for many decades. The local Hindus used to celebrate the Aadi festival by installing the idols of gods on the road in the locality every year.
When the Hindus were installing the idols on Wednesday for the festival scheduled on Thursday, a group of local Muslims objected to the same, leading to a quarrel between both the groups.
As tension mounted with the members of both the groups gathering in good strength at the spot, police rushed in and separated them. The members of both the groups, including women, squatted on the road and raised slogans.
Sanjay Kumar, City Police Commissioner, G. Subbulakshmi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kumareswaran, Revenue Divisional Officer, held separate discussions with the representatives of both the groups. The officials promised to sort out the issue by holding detailed discussion with the representatives of both the groups, following which a section of the crowd dispersed. The negotiations with the representatives continued till late Wednesday evening.
Heavy police pickets have been posted in the area to defuse tension and maintain law and order.
